Abbott must come clean on Slipper case: PM

Paul Osborne, AAP Senior Political Writer

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott is using "weasel words" when he says he had no specific knowledge of the details of a sexual harassment case being prepared against Peter Slipper, Prime Minister Julia Gillard says.

Ms Gillard also called on the Liberals to dump Mal Brough as the Liberal National Party (LNP) candidate for the Mr Slipper's Queensland seat of Fisher, in the wake of the Federal Court dismissing the case brought by former staffer James Ashby.

In her first public comments since Justice Steven Rares rejected the case as abuse of process aimed at "pursuing a political attack against Mr Slipper" and named Mr Brough, Ms Gillard challenged Mr Abbott on Friday to explain himself.

Justic Rares said Mr Ashby had worked in "combination" with Mr Brough - a former Howard government minister - and another person when commencing the proceedings "in order to advance the interests of the LNP and Mr Brough".

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Speaking in London, Mr Abbott insisted he had no "specific knowledge" of Mr Ashby's claims until the news broke on April 21.

"Mr Abbott is using weasel words to avoid answering very simple questions," Ms Gillard told ABC radio on Friday.

"Mr Abbott ... now needs to come clean about the mess his political party is mired in following this adverse judgement from the Federal Court."

Ms Gillard said Mr Brough and any other coalition member with knowledge of the matter also needed to come forward.

The Liberal leader is standing by Mr Brough, who worked alongside Mr Abbott in the last coalition government, saying he has been transparent about his role in the Ashby case.

Ms Gillard said Mr Brough had been "anything but transparent" and had used the case to try to change the balance of power in federal parliament.

Mr Abbott said Labor should "stop hyperventilating" and accept there was no conspiracy.

Asked if he had had any role in the case against Mr Slipper, Mr Abbott replied, "None whatsoever".

"There are all sorts of rumours that have been running around about Mr Slipper for years," he said, adding they had intensified in the weeks leading up to the April lodgment of the harassment claims.

"The only issues at stake are: Did Mr Slipper sexually harass his former staffer? And why did the prime minister think he was a fit and proper person to be the speaker in the first place?"

But one senior Liberal figure believes Mr Brough has questions to answer.